


Night In

by natashasbanner



Series: 30 Days of Bruce/Natasha Fluff [4]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-04
Updated: 2017-12-04
Packaged: 2019-02-10 14:06:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,881
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12913473
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/natashasbanner/pseuds/natashasbanner
Summary: Natasha and Bruce are too tired for date night, so they stay in instead.





	Night In

By the time Natasha pulled into the driveway it was already dark. She stared numbly at the garage door as it opened slowly and pulled her car in next to Bruce’s. She turned off the ignition and just sat there for a few minutes. 

Her whole body was sore, she’d spent the last few days helping Sam train the new recruits. She hadn’t seen combat in almost a year, her status as an active duty, non combatant was starting get boring. Sam had suggested she come out and assist in a little hand to hand combat training to break up her boring routine. 

Natasha, of course, had jumped on the offer, but failed to take into account just how out of practice she was. She’d laid out every single recruit, but not without them getting in a few more hits than she was expecting. Rolling her shoulder, she winced at the reminder of the kick she took before knocking the kid on her ass. 

With a long sigh she opened the door and headed for the garage door. 

“Natasha?” she heard Bruce call out as she closed the door behind her. 

She kicked off her shoes in the mud room and wandered into the house. Bruce came around the corner into the kitchen. He was dressed up in a pair of slacks and an only slightly rumpled white button down. 

“What are you all dressed up for,” she asked, getting an ice pack from the freezer. “Got a hot date?” 

“Yeah, but I think she forgot about it,” he said, his eyebrows furrowed. 

Natasha closed the freezer and stared at Bruce confused. “What?” 

“You said it might be nice to get out a little more and I suggested we try out one of the restuarants in town, but I see now that I should have confirmed that plan with you.” He sounded embarrassed as he stood there rubbing the back of his neck. 

Natasha felt like an idiot. The conversation they’d had the day she left for the Avengers Facility came back to her suddenly. She’d mentioned her cabin fever and Bruce had been so sweet in offering up ways to combat it. It’d made her heart swell, but now she wanted to kick herself. 

“I just need to change and we can go out,” she promised and held the ice pack to her shoulder. Sitting in a crowded restaurant was the last thing she wanted to do right now, but for Bruce she’d do anything. 

“Okay,” he said, but it sounded more like a question. 

She crossed the kitchen and leaned up to kiss his cheek. 

“Just give me twenty minutes and we can go.”

Bruce reached up and pulled the ice pack away from her shoulder. The red mark was partially covered, but she knew he saw enough to guess at how her last few days had gone. 

“Have fun with Sam?” he asked and put the ice pack back on her shoulder. There was a twinkle of amusement in his eyes. 

“I showed those newbies a thing or two,” she told him smugly. 

He raised an eyebrow and glanced back down at her shoulder. 

“So that was a lucky hit, then?” 

She pursed her lips and tipped her head to the side. 

“I taught them too well,” she conceded, unwilling to admit she’d lost some of her old touch. 

Bruce nodded with a chuckle. He gave her a once over and his eyes narrowed slightly. It was his way of reading her, taking her in with a calculating eye like she sometimes did with him. She watched him quietly until he hummed softly. 

“Are you sure you’re up for going out?” he asked her, his tone soft. 

Natasha wanted to lie and tell him that she was really looking forward to a night out but her sore muscles and bruised shoulder were begging for a night on the couch. 

“I’m sorry Bruce. I know you were looking forward to tonight, but I’m so tired.” 

She searched his face for the inevitable disappointment but she found none, he actually looked relieved. He scrunched up his nose and relaxed. 

“Me too,” he said with a sigh and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. “This week was hell.”

She rested her head against his chest and snaked her arms around his waist. He was warm under his stiff shirt and Natasha could have fallen asleep standing there in the middle of the kitchen. 

“I could really go for a hot bath right about now,” she said looking up at him. 

He raised his eyebrows and ran his hand up and down her back. 

“And we could order pizza and maybe watch a movie on the couch,” Bruce finished her thought and Natasha couldn’t help but grin. 

“That sounds perfect,” she agreed and kissed the underside of his jaw. 

She felt him shiver under her touch and smiled slyly. She moved her fingers along his waist and started slowly untucking his shirt. 

“Join me,” she whispered, starting to unbutton his shirt. 

“Okay,” he said with no hesitation. 

Natasha laughed and pushed against his chest to get him moving. Bruce lead the way to the bathroom backwards, only running into the wall once, while Natasha undressed him. By the time they made it, Bruce was down to his underwear and Natasha’s shirt had been carelessly discarded at some point along with the ice pack. They parted long enough for Natasha to get the water running before Bruce pulled her back to him.

Natasha ran her fingers through his hair, tugging a little at the ends. 

“I missed you this week,” he said quietly and pressed his face into the crook of her good shoulder. 

Her lips quirked up at that. She’d only been gone three days, but the first night she’d spent alone in her old quarters, Natasha hadn’t been able to fall asleep. She’d gotten so used to having him beside her that it had taken some effort to get to sleep. Over to course of those short days Natasha realized how comfortable she’d become in this life they had together. In the past she would have been terrified and probably find a way to make it all come crashing down, she couldn’t afford to get comfortable, but instead she’d been longing to get back to their peaceful little haven. 

“Me too,” she told him and lifted his head to leave a lingering kiss on his lips. 

The water finished and Bruce stripped down first. He settled against the back of the tub and gestured for Natasha to join him. She made a show of stripping down, feeling his eyes on her the entire time. She climbed into the tub and sat between his legs, leaning back on his chest. She sighed happily and closed her eyes. 

“This is nice,” she said after a long stretch of silence. 

“Yeah.” 

He sounded so relaxed. Natasha lifted his hand out of the water and kissed his knuckles. 

“Better than some stuffy restaurant,” she decided, sinking a little deeper into the hot water.

“Yeah.” 

His response was mumbled and Natasha turned to see that his eyes were closed and his lips parted. He’d fallen asleep on her. 

“I’ll try not to be offended that you’re sleeping right now,” she joked, flicking water in his face. 

“I’m not sleeping,” he argued, but his eyes remained closed and he barely reacted to her flicking more water in his face. 

“That tired?” she asked, taking pity on him. 

Bruce nodded wordlessly, his arms tightening around her. Natasha smiled to herself. She patted his knee under the water and reached for the drain. 

Cold air hit them as the water receded and that got Bruce’s attention. He jerked awake and Natasha couldn’t help but laugh softly at the confused expression on his face. 

“What’s going on?”

“The water was getting cold,” she told him and climbed out of the tub. “And I’m hungry.” Her stomach growled loud enough for both of them to hear. 

She grabbed a towel and wrapped it around herself and offered the other one to Bruce. 

“I’ll order the pizza,” he offered, standing and wrapping the towel around his waist. He kissed her cheek as he passed. 

Natasha went into their bedroom across the hall and quickly changed into a pair of yoga pants and one of Bruce’s sweatshirts. She found him in the living room, his cell phone pressed to his ear as he talked to the pizza place. He looked relaxed, a little sluggish in his sleepy state, but very at peace. Their little happy bubble seemed to be doing him as much good as it was doing her. Sometimes she wandered if this was too good too be true, like this whole thing would come crashing down around them. But then she remembered that they’d both suffered enough to deserve a win. 

This was their win. 

Bruce ended the call and she walked over to sit on the couch. 

“Pizza will be here in thirty,” he told her. 

Natasha nodded. “What should we watch?” 

“Whatever you want to watch.” 

“I’m feeling like Planet Earth,” she said, already looking for the remote. 

“Sounds good to me.” He picked the remote up from the TV stand and handed it to her. “I’m going to go change because I’m freezing.” 

“Don’t fall asleep in there,” she teased as he walked away. He grumbled something unintelligible in response. 

Natasha queued up the show and waited for Bruce. He came back out in a pair of pajama pants and one of the last sweaters Natasha hadn’t claimed as her own. 

He sat down beside her and put his arm around her shoulders. Natasha scooted closer until she was practically in his lap and snuggled in close. She hit play on the remote and got lost in the nature photography and calm narration. 

She didn’t realize she’d fallen asleep until the doorbell rang and her head jerked up from Bruce’s shoulder. He chuckled as he stood up and answered the door. 

“Look who can’t stay awake now,” he said, walking back in with the box of pizza in his hands. 

Natasha yawned and held her hands out for the box. “Feed me.” 

He handed over the box and she greedily cracked it open to get a slice. Bruce sat back down and grabbed a piece for himself. They ate in comfortable silence until half the pizza was gone. Natasha got up to put the rest in the fridge and by the time she got back, Bruce had stretched out along the cushions. 

Without missing a beat, Natasha laid on top of him. 

“Comfy,” she said, settling against him. 

He ran his fingers along her spine rhythmically.

“Keep that up and we won’t make it off this couch,” she whispered.

Bruce shrugged. “Wouldn’t be that bad.” 

Natasha grinned and kissed him softly. Bruce slid his hand under her sweater as the kiss deepened. 

“What do you say we take this down the hall?” Natasha said a little breathless when she came up for air.

“Lead the way.”

In one fluid motion Natasha was back on her feet and Bruce was right behind her. She would trade all the fancy dates in the world for her nights in with Bruce.


End file.
